Sydney: At least 10 people have been killed and several others were injured in the shooting that occurred on Australia’s Bondi beach earlier in the day.
Two gunmen were involved in the shooting on participants of a Jewish festival that was taking place on the beach. Both have been taken into custody by the New South Wales (NSW) Police.
Nearly 50 rounds were fired during the shooting that took place around two hours ago, NDTV has reported.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the scenes in Bondi “shocking and distressing”.
“Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives. My thoughts are with every person affected. I have just sp
oken to the AFP Commissioner and with the NSW Premier. We are working with the NSW Police and will provide further updates as more information is confirmed. I urge people in the vicinity to follow information from the NSW Police,” Albanese said in a statement.
Around 2.17 pm IST, NSW Police said in a post on X that they were responding to a “developing incident” at Bondi Beach.
“Anyone at the scene should take shelter,” they warned.
“Police operation is ongoing and we continue to urge people to avoid the area. Please obey ALL police directions. Do not cross police lines,” the post added.
The shooting took place on the first night of the eight-day Jewish festival Hanukkah. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the gunmen opened fire just after 6.30 pm (Australian time) when hundreds of people had gathered on the beach for a seaside event to mark the beginning of the Jewish festival.
One of the people who attended the event told The Herald that the shooters targeted children and the elderly indiscriminately. Visuals showed some people performing CPR on others.